Benazir assassination: Ex-Rawalpindi police officers released on bail

Rawalpindi: Former Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Saud Aziz and Superintendent Police (SP) Khurram Shahzad have been released on bail in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case.

The two officers were charged with negligence of duty in providing security cover to former prime minister Benazir, who was targeted in a gun and bomb attack as she was leaving Liaqat Bagh in Rawalpindi after addressing a public rally on December 27, 2007.

Both Saud and Khurram appeared before Special Judge Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rana Nasir Ahmed and submitted surety bonds worth one million rupees each, The Express Tribune reports.

On November 15, 2010, the Federal Investigation Agency’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) had charge-sheeted both police officials for hosing down the crime scene and providing inadequate security to Benazir.

On April 05, a division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted bail to both the accused and directed them to submit the surety bonds. However, the bench directed the concerned authorities to confiscate the passports of the duo.

Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar had opposed the bail petition, saying that the higher authorities had assigned Benazir’s security at Liaquat Bagh on December 27, 2007 to Saud, but he had neglected his duty and left the venue unprotected.